My Mafia Madness

Chapter 2 - An Unfortunate Choice

A frantic twenty-five-year-old Alexa Myers was rushing about the office late at night, busily working to ensure that tomorrow morning’s corporate meeting would run as smoothly as possible.

Tucking a loose strand of her long wavy blonde hair back behind her left ear, Alexa’s chocolate brown eyes peered through her designer black rimmed glasses and took one last look around at the empty office, mentally going over a checklist in her head.

She’d already seen to the cleaning crew that afternoon and the board meeting room was spick and span, almost sparkling clean through the entirely transparent windows surrounding it on all four walls.

Alexa had organised for a local florist to have a large bouquet of lusciously fresh long-stemmed white tulips arranged in a tall black glass vase in the centre of the long dark oak board room desk.

She happened to know that those particular flowers were Mr. Romano’s favourite after performing some research in her down time the night before.

A small favour she thought, but something that Alexa had hoped would make him feel even slightly more comfortable when he arrived.

Everything had to go perfectly; her job was on the line!

She had even gone as far as to organise a caterer to deliver several platters of Mr Romano’s preferred appetizers for tomorrow morning.

This of course included Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon Puffs, Melted Manchego Tortas with Romesco and Chorizo, and even Caviar and Crème Fraiche Tartlets.

Everything had been thought of, down to the last tiny detail and it was all thanks to Alexa.

She wasn’t just good at her job as Gary Harworth’s personal assistant; she was great at it!

Once she was happy with everything she casually rode the elevator down to the large dark and secluded lobby of Romano Enterprises, then exiting through the shiny automatic doors and making her way out through the large glass entrance leading to the darkened street outside.

The night air was noticeably cool and crisp, making her glad that she had chosen to wear her long white coat over the top of her clothing, along with her black striped scarf wrapped loosely around her neck.

Standing at the curb, Alexa lifted her hand out in an effort to hail a taxi to drive her home for the night but the cab drove right on by her and disappeared around the corner and out of sight.

“Crap.” she muttered softly to herself as she glanced around for another one nearby.

Wrapping her arms around her chest in an effort to warm herself from the surrounding chill, Alexa decided that she may have to walk the two blocks towards the train station after all, even this late at night.

She wouldn’t normally be out this late on a Friday night by herself, especially in the middle of the city. It was a dangerous place after the sun had set, everyone knew that.

But with the high expectations of tomorrow’s board meeting going one-hundred percent smoothly, she had little choice in the matter.

With an auditable huff, Alexa rolled her chocolate brown eyes and began her long walk toward the train station to catch the next train home.

-

After making it only one block away from her workplace the personal assistant was about to pass by a dark alley when she thought she heard a sound coming from behind her.

Spinning around her eyes darted frantically from one side of the road to the other, but the entire street appeared to be unusually empty.

A strange and eerily terrifying chill ran across the base of her spine as she felt her heart rate increasing rapidly, thumping loudly as she fought to regain her composure.

She was well aware that it was dangerous to be out on the streets on her own so late at night but it was as if all of the taxis in the entire city were for some reason avoiding this particular street, giving her no other option.

Sucking in a large inhale of the cold city air, Alexa turned back around and came face to face with four men, each with their sights set on her and each with terrifying grins apparent on their faces.

“Well, hello there.”

The man with the goatee in the middle greeted her a little too friendly for her taste as he smirked, his grey eyes looking her up and down with a keen interest.

Fearful, Alexa took a step backwards cautiously as she weighed up her options.

She could run but in her favourite three-inch heels she doubted she would manage to outrun them before they caught up with her.

And talking them out of whatever it was that they had planned clearly wasn’t an option.

Like it or not she was in a serious amount of danger!

“You’re out awfully late at night, aren’t you kitten?”

“I was actually just leaving.” Alexa spoke hesitantly, looking between them.

“Excuse me.”

Lowering her head submissively, she went to step around the men but they quickly side stepped to block off her path, causing her to stop and remain still.

“Where are you going? You’re not leaving us so soon now are you gorgeous?” the shorter of the men asked, his left brow raised revealing a piercing just above his eye.

“We’re just about to have some fun.”

“Fun?” she asked.

“Yeah, fun.” he smiled sadistically.

That was the final straw for Alexa.

She instantly reached into her handbag and pulled out a small cylindrical canister, holding it out in front of her with a determined frown, her pointer finger on the trigger of the can of mace.

“Stay back!” she warned them with a stern tone to her voice.

“I’ll use it on you... I swear to god I’ll use it!”

The men all appeared to laugh together at her half-assed attempt to defend herself, shaking their heads at her as she watched them move to surround her.

It appeared that they weren’t taking her warning as seriously as she had hoped, and now she was in even more trouble than before.

“Just leave me alone, please.” she began begging, her voice trembling as she looked from one to the next with furrowed brows.

“I have nothing of value on me.”

“Aww… Dex, I think you’ve scared her man.” one of them taunted.

Her breathing had become short, sharp pants as she continued to hold out her canister of mace with the nozzle readily pointed towards her would-be attackers.

Having been born and raised in the city, Alexa was no fool.

She knew what men like these were after, wandering around the streets so late at night to surprise vulnerable people like her.

They were either going to rob her or rape her… or worse, both!

“Please, I’ll call the police!” she threatened, digging with her free hand into her bag.

The men merely shook their heads at her feeble attempt to defend herself with empty threats.

“They wouldn’t make it in time love.” The apparent lead mugger reminded her with a dark tone to his voice as he took a step in closer.

“I’m afraid it’s just you… and us.”

A sensation of dark dread flooded over her as she took in his intended meaning.

“I wonder if she’s as hot underneath her clothing as she is in it!” one of them announced with a grin.

“I bet she’s wearing… a matching bra and panties.” the other added to their gross humour.

“I said stay back!”

By now Alexa was fully panicking as tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes, threatening their impending arrival.

“I mean it…”

Suddenly the tallest one standing to her left moved in on her and in her panicked offensive state Alexa turned and sprayed him directly in his eyes, unloading a hell of a lot of mace into his sensitive eyeballs.

“AH, f**k!”

He screamed out angrily, stepping back and clawing with his fingers at his eyes as the others around him simply laughed.

“The b***h, she f*****g maced me!”

“Now, now… that wasn’t very nice.”

Their apparent leader stared at her with a sour expression as the other two muggers either side of him suddenly moved in on her.

“No!”

As they grabbed onto her, lifting her from the ground and beginning to carry her across the footpath, Alexa screamed out at the top of her lungs in terror.

“NO... HELP ME!”